Alan Sacks, who produced shows like 'Welcome Back' and 'Kotter' dies at the age of 81

Alan Sacks was one of the co-creators of the popular 1970s sitcom 'Welcome Back, Kotter'. He died at the age of 81. Annette van Duren, Alan Sacks' wife, a talent agent told AP News that Alan Sacks died due to problems with lymphoma on Tuesday in New York.

Alan Sacks had been battling the disease for 22 years, which also went into remission at some point. Born on December 9, 1942, in Brooklyn, Sacks, along with comedian Gabe Kaplan, developed the hit show 'Welcome Back, Kotter,' which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1979. Kaplan played teacher Gabe Cotter on the show, which ran four seasons and 95 episodes, becoming a big part of 1970s television culture.

Before the success of the hit show, Alan Sacks had begun his career in ABC's research department and then relocated to Los Angeles, where he worked as a program executive. He also produced the popular Chico and the Man set of the mid-1970s. In the 1980s, Alan directed the 1984 Du-Beat-Eau, a film about the LA punk scene featuring footage of the band The Runaways and starring Joan Jett.

He then took on 1986's Thrashin', a skateboarding movie that also boasted musical performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, their first appearance in film. Sacks' subsequent work at the Disney Channel led to his involvement in hot projects such as 1999's Smart House and the award-winning 2000 production The Color of Friendship. Apart from the work in television and film, Alan Sacks had also taught film, TV, and broadcasting at the Los Angeles Valley College until his retirement in 2007.

His most recent project was a podcast, Peter and the Acid King, about the unsolved 1984 killing of his friend Peter Ivers. Alan Sacks is survived by his wife of 34 years, Annette Van Duren; daughters Samantha and Shannon; son Austin; and sister Jodie.